Archive for the ‘Aston Martin DBS Vantage’ tag

Patina is apparently as alluring on the other side of the Atlantic as it is here, as demonstrated by a recent U.K. auction that saw a “barn find” 1969 Aston Martin DBS Vantage, a “barn find” 1958 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupe, and a disassembled 1962 Facel Vega atop the sale’s list of high-dollar cars, with the latter two selling for more than $100,000. In addition to a healthy layer of dust, the auction’s three top sellers had another thing in common: Each selling price far exceeded the pre-auction estimate, thanks in part to heavy participation from foreign bidders via telephone.

1962 Facel Vega restoration project.

The late-production Facel Vega, described as mostly complete but missing the wraparound windshield glass, carried a high pre-auction estimate of £34,000 ($56,845), yet it sold for £64,400 ($107,670, with all prices including fees), nearly doubling the estimate despite the car’s unfinished state. For the U.S. market, Hagerty estimates the value of a “Fair” condition HK500 at $82,000, and this example will require quite a bit of labor to even achieve this level, assuming the bulk of the parts provided with the car are in salvageable condition.

The “barn find” 1958 Jaguar XK150 Drophead Coupe sold for £62,100 ($103,825), besting its high pre-auction estimate by £17,100 ($28,589). Though also described as “mostly complete,” the auction catalog is clear that the entire car will need to be gone through and refurbished, an expensive proposition for a vehicle that Hagerty values at $79,300 in fair condition.

The premium paid for the “barn find” 1969 Aston Martin DBS Vantage was perhaps the most impressive, as its selling price of £51,175 ($85,559) more than doubled the high pre-auction estimate of £25,000 ($41,798), thanks to a bidding war that erupted as the car crossed the stage. Though Hagerty does not show a value for this particular Aston Martin, a 1969 DBS carries a fair condition value of $48,800.